Method of stripping textile fibers from spools



Aug. 24, 1954 .A. J. PIKE 2,686,953

METHOD OF STRIPPING TEXTILE FIBERS FROM SPOOLS Filed June 16, 1950Patented Aug. 24, 1954 METHOD OF STRIPPING TEXTILE FIBERS FROM SPOIOLSAndrew J. Pike, Canton, Mass, assignor to Neponset Woolen Mills, Canton,Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 16, 1950, SerialNo. 168,522

2 Claims. (Cl. 28-72) During the processing of textile fibers, it iscommon practice to employ spools upon which waste fibers accumulate andfrom which this waste must be removed. The present practice is to removesuch waste by the use of a knife which is drawn along the length of thespool and splits the waste, which is then pulled oif of the spool byhand. This operation requires considerable time and labor and results indamage to the spool. Accidents result from the use of the knife and fromsplinters out from the spool during the cutting operation, the barrel ofthe spools being commonly made of wood.

In accordance with the present invention all need for cutting to removethe waste is eliminated, one object of the present invention being toprovide for easy removal and replacement of one of the heads of thespool, the removal of this head permitting the waste to be stripped orslid off lengthwise of the spool. Not only does this eliminate allnecessity for cutting the waste with its attendant damage to the spooland liability ofserious accident, but it also makes possible the testingof roving yarn on any part of the spool at any time in order todiscoverdeficiencies or faulty operation of thetextile machine.

Mean are preferably provided for supporting thewspool in substantiallyupright position by a permanently fixed head on the spool, thisfacilitating the removal and replacement of the removable head byholding the spool barrel in fixed position. It also facilitates thestripping of the waste by gravity from the spool barrel.

For a complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a perspective view of aspool made in accordance with this invention, the removable head beingshown detached from the barrel.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary central longitudinal sectional view to alarger scale through the detachable head and the cooperating portion ofthe spool barrel to which it is removably held.

Figure 3 is a view similar to a portion of Fig- ;ure 2, but showing amodified construction of spool barrel.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary central longitudinal sectional view of aremovable head for cooperation with the spool barrel of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2, but showing a furthermodification.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing thespool of Figures 1 and 2supported for removal of the waste therefrom or for testing roving yarnthere- 2 on, the lower head having been detcahed from the spool barrel.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, at l is indicated the barrel of aspool having a head 2 in the form of a disk permanently attached to oneend. Concentric with the barrel and this head is a trunnion 3 by whichthisspool may be supported when in use. At the other end of the barrelthere may be attached a removable head 4 which is also formed as a diskand may also be provided with a coaxial trunnion 5. As shown in thesefigures, the removable head 4 is provided with a central boss 6 whichmay be pushed into the interior of the barrel 5 as shown in Figure 2.The trunnion 5 may have a reduced diameter inner end portion l threadedon its extremity 8 for the reception of a securing nut 9 which isseatedin a recess It in the inner end of the boss 6. This secures the head 4,the boss 6 and the trunnion 5 assembled. As shown the barrel may be madeas a metal tube.

The head 4 with the parts carried thereby may be removably secured inassembled relation with the barrel, and for this purpose the barrel maybe provided with an annular depression II, the inner end of the bossbeing of reduced diameter as at i2 to pass freely within the depressionIE, and means, such as one or more spring pressed ball latches I l,seated in recesses l 5 in the boss 6 may be employed to snap in inwardlyof the annular recess l and removably hold the head 4 in assembledrelation. By exerting outward axial pressure on the head 4, this headmay be withdrawn from assembled relation, the latches M being wedgedback. sufficiently against their springs by the engagement of theportion i i therewith, and conversely the removable head may be returnedto assembled relation by merely pushing it into place with sufficientforce to retract the ball latches until they pass inwardly of theportion H.

In use, means such as are shown in Figure 7 are preferably provided forholding the spool in elevated position by engaging the permanent head 2.This means comprises a pair of vertically spaced holding portions 20which are supported from a bracket 2| secured to any suitable supportsuch as a wall or the post 22. The holding elements 20 comprise pairs oflaterally spaced arms which are spaced sufiiciently to permit thetrunnion 3 to extend therebetween on the upper face of the fixed head 2and for the barrel I to extend therebetween below the permanent head 2.As shown, those holding arms are formed as loop elements having theirfree ends deflected away from each other as at 23 so as to form guidesfacilitating the entrance of the head 2 into position therebetween.These elements may be secured in spaced relation by means such as crossbraces, one of which is shown at 24.

It will be apparent that when the fixed head 2 of a spool is placed inthe position shown in Figure 7, the spool is held .elevated, whereuponthe removable head 4 may be removed by merely pressing it downwardly,whereupon the fibrous waste is free to be pushed off axially of thespool barrel from its lower end, as is shown in this figure. This avoidsany necessity for cutting the waste, with the attendant danger due touse of a knife, and where wooden barrels are employed, all risk fromslivers resultin from the cutting of the knife into a wood barrel. Uponremoval of the waste, the removable head 4 may be brought in under thebarrel and then elevated so that the boss 6 telescopes within the barrelsufficiently for the parts to assume fully assembled positions where theball latches l4 removably hold the detachable head in place on thebarrel. Not only does this avoid the use of a knife in removingwaste,.but it also makes possible a readily practiced method of testingcheeses resulting from the carding process. In this process there areseveral ends of roving which are wound onto the spool and with a quickdetachable head, the testing of this roving in the form of cheeses onany part of the spool is facilitated. Thus it may be readily determinedwhether or not the carding action is uniform, this facilitatingimproving the efliciency and quality of production in the cardingprocess. Furthermore, by avoiding the necessity of using a knife, thelife of the spools may be greatly prolonged since they can be made of amore durable light metal tube. Moreover, the speed with which thefibrous material can be removed from the spool is much greater than whencutting is resorted to, and the fibrous material removed is in bettercondition for subsequent processing.

In Figures 3 to 6, other constructions of removable spool heads havebeen illustrated. Thus in Figure 3 the end of the tubular barrel l isfilled by a permanent plug 30 which may be secured in place therein asby rolling in an annular recess 3| in the barrel tube after the plug hasbeen inserted. This plug carries the trunnion 32 which may be mounted inthe plug 30 similarly to the trunnion in Figure 2 within the boss 6.This trunnion 32, however, is provided with an annular groove 33 whichmay receive one or more spring pressed ball latches 34 shown in Figure 4and carried by a collar 36 secured coaxially to the removable head 37.As shown, the collar 38 may be secured to the head 37 as by screws 39.The inner portion of the trunnion 32 is thus telescopically related tothe head 37 and the collar 36 when the head is assembled on the barreland is removably retained in position by the ball latches 34.

In Figures 5 and 6 a still further modification is shown in which theend portion of the tubular barrel 40 has secured therein a plug M, as byears 42 struck from the tubular barrel 40, and deflected into thematerial of the plug 41. This plug 41 may be provided with a trunnionwhich may be identical in construction with the trunnion 5 of Figure 2.The removable head 43 is provided with a central aperture 44 which maybe threaded over the trunnion 5 and it may also be provided with one ormore arcuate keyhole slots 46 arranged concentric to the head 43. C0-operating with these keyhole slots are the headed members, such as thescrews 41, which are threaded into the plu 41 with their heads spacedsufficiently from the ends of the plugs so as to permit the head 43 toextend therebeneath. The enlarged diameter portions 48 of the keyholeslots are of sufiicient diameter to receive the heads of the screws 47,whereupon by turning the head 43 in the clockwise direction as viewed inFigure 6, the narrower portions of the slots may be brought opposite tothe shanks of the members 47, the screw heads then retaining the spoolhead in assembled relation. A spring pressed ball latch 50 seated in asocket 5! in the plug 4| engaging in a hole or recess 52 in the head 43may be employed to releasably latch the head 43 in assembled relationwith the barrel.

From the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention, itshould be evident to those skilled in the art that various furtherchanges and modifications may be made without departing from its spiritor scope.

I claim:

1. The method of removing fibrous material accumulated on the barrel ofa spool having a pair of heads, at least one of which is readilydetachable from said barrel, which comprises detaching said detachablehead, and while holding the spool, sliding said material along and ofifrom said barrel away from the other of said heads while said detachablehead is detached.

2. The method of removing fibrous material accumulated on the barrel ofa spool having one fixed head and'one head readily detachable from saidbarrel, which comprises holding said fixed head to thereby hold thespool stationary, detaching said detachable head, and sliding thematerial along said barrel and off therefrom away from said fixed headwhile said detachable head is detached. 9

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